I must admit that I kind of felt like a big nerd immediately after writing this on the back of my car. But when we arrived to the barn the very lovely Ramble volunteers squealed when they saw that written on the back of my car. They thought it was the balls!
This was my second Midnight Ramble. My first one being in May of this year, was on Levon's 70th birthday. Members of our group have dubbed the Midnight Ramble "Church", which is a very accurate description of the experience. While watching the opening act, The Wood Brothers, I turned to a stranger behind me, and I can't remember what it was that got us talking, but when I asked him if this was his first time, he told me no, and then remarked how amazing his first time was, and that it was (in his own words) like going to church. I'm not a church kinda girl, but the Ramble is definitely church. The barn is set up so that you can have an in the round view of the performers. It is warm and only well lit around the designated stage area, on the ground floor, in the very heart of the barn. A few volunteers in yellow shirts are situated around the perimeters, near the doors of the barn. The informal atmosphere of this place is what makes it so alluring to the fans of this kind of music, being there makes you feel privy to the inside of what seems like a very exclusive club.
There was a very disappointing catch to this Ramble. Before the Wood Brothers began their opening set, it was announced that Levon would not be performing that night. Levon's a sick man. A survivor of throat cancer, with COPD and emphysema, it's really kind of unbelievable that he gets up on stage as often as he does. Explaining that he was in the hospital, they had offered to refund tickets to those who wanted to leave, but we weren't going anywhere. I knew that either way we were in for an amazing performance.
Theres something that needs to be understood about the caliber of musicians that play at the Ramble...these are seasoned veterans of music. While Levon Helm is the person that brings them all together in that place, he is not the only force in that room when they play. It is an incredible collaboration of very talented individuals that make the Ramble what it is. I noticed that a lot of my friends, especially the ones who had never been there before, were notably disappointed at the situation, and I don't blame them. Levon is the heartbeat of the ramble. He is the big draw, the reason why you come all the way out there and pay the big price on the ticket. And with a build up of several months thinking that you're going to see Levon Helm, I can understand the upset. But I am willing to go out and say that I think that his show was even better than the show I saw last May.
Levon may not have been in the barn that night, but his spirit was felt and heard, loud and clear. Certain people have the unique power of inhabiting others around them. It happens to all of us by all kinds of people in our lives. I notice sometimes that I am inhabited by my best friend while I'm cooking, I'm inhabited by my parents when I am making important decisions, or sometimes I'm inhabited by my Dad while I paint. It's just something that happens to us humans, we get filled with the spirit of other people when it comes down to doing something important to us. You carry significant people with you all the time, it just happens.
And I saw that happen on Saturday night. That entire place was filled, pouring out in fact, with Levon's energy. These musicians didn't let it get them down, there was no melancholy or disappointment in that barn, even on the part of the audience. If anything the band played better, because this time they weren't playing with Levon, they were playing for him. These artists know they don't have anything to prove to us. All the best musicians in that room were on the stage that night, but it just seemed like they brought a little something special that night. Like perhaps when they found out that Levon wasn't going to be on stage with them that night, there was a collective understanding within the troop that they were going to make this an unforgettable ramble regardless. His daughter Amy sings at all the Midnight Rambles, and this woman's voice is magnificent, as is the other back up singer, Teresa Williams. Their version of the Dead tune 'Atticks' is absolutely chilling. It's a once in a lifetime experience, people come from all over the country and the world even to see these people perform, and they did not let us down.
Something that means ALOT to me when I go see live music is the response of the audience. Now, I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact that I personally knew the majority of the people around me, and therefore just thought every one was really just terrific, but that energy was palpable. A friend and I were able to marvel the next day at how for most of the show, the 17(or 18?) of us were all hanging over the second story balcony, and that no matter where you looked around the room, we were all able to see each other and share in the experience. It didn't matter if this was your second or third time there, each time feels as special as the first one.
So although no Levon, I still thought the night(and the weekend as a whole) was pretty great. Lots of fun was had in the RV, many a delicious vegan cupcake was eaten, many drinks were drank and we collectively had a really awesome, very epic time together. I didn't even have a hangover. It's a total privilege to get to do these kinds of things and I really try to not take that for granted. The count down to Xmas still continues, but for me, Xmas happened days ago.
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